1:50pm - We were halfway through the hiking trail. Denver & Gladys had done a great job following us through ever since we started our walk in the morning.

It was a hot day and the slopes were steep. We have to replenish our body with water constantly to avoid getting dehydrated. 

Our reward for the workout- Magnificent scenic view of the mountains and Lamma island along the walking trail.  

2:15pm - Spotted another pavilion. Denver & Gladys making their way down to rest.

Hill Top Pavilion - Best viewing spot on the island.

"Hi" !!

View of Sok Kwu Wan from afar.

The trail from here gets easier as most of the slopes were heading downwards. The hardest journey is finally over. :)

Heading towards Sok Kwu Wan town.

We were at the lowlands. :)

"Kamikaze Grottos" (神风洞) - Looked very eerie and it was so dark that we only dare to see it from afar. The paint of the wordings engraved on the plate has mostly gone off but here's whats written on it.

"Along the coast of Sok Kwu Wan, there are several grottos about 10 metres wide and several tens of metres deep. They are named by the locals as Kamikaze Grottos. It is said that during Second World War, the Japanese army took Lo So Shing as a naval port and thousands of soldiers were stationed there. The Japanese had a plan to hide some speedboats in the grottos, which would launch a suicidal attack on teh Allies' warships if they passed  by. But the war ended before the work had been completed"

3pm - We were totally famished by now. Many hours of walk and its way past our lunch hours! There are so many seafood restaurants in Sok Kwu Wan and we were spoil with choices. We heard that Rainbow Seafood Restaurant is very renowned and popular here but we decided to dine at Tai Yuen Shark's Fin Seafood Restaurant instead.

We ordered the set lunch for 3 at HKD258 (~SGD43). Here's what we got: shrimp, scallops, clams, fried calamari, 3 bowls of rice, choice of soft drink/beer and a serving of fruits. Ordered an additional bowl of rice for Gladys and it was a filling and satisfactory lunch.

The string of seafood restaurants along Sok Kwu Wan. Diners can enjoy the view as they indulge in their meal.

4pm - Sok Kwu Wan Pier - Our boat ride back to Hong Kong Island.

*The schedule of the rides is listed and it is advisable to check out the timings first. If we missed the 4:05pm ferry, we would have to wait for another 1 hour plus before the next ferry arrives. 

Although tiring, it has been a rewarding 5 hours experience taking on the family trail around Lamma Island. Initially I was a bit worried that our children will have difficulties completing the trail but they proved me wrong. Our very first outlying island trip in Hong Kong was full of surprises and we love to come back again and explore other islands when we are planning for our next trip. 

Food 

Tai Yuen Shark's Fin Seafood Restaurant (泰苑魚翅海鮮酒家)

Address: 15 First Street, Sok Kwu Wan, Lamma Island, Hong Kong

Visiting Lamma Island was an impromptu decision and it was a wise one. Taking on the Lamma Island Family Trail, we started at Yung Shue Wan pier, passing through the main streets, Tin Hau Temple, and tasting some Toufu desserts along the way, we were at a cross junction. Afraid that the children will be exhausted before we reach Sok Kwu Wan, we decided to give Lamma Winds a miss.

12:40pm - Heading straight down, we arrived at Hung Shing Yeh Beach (洪聖爺灣泳灘). It is a beautiful beach with clear waters. The sand is not as fine but the beach is clean. We regretted not bringing our swimming costumes along!

You can have a good view of the Lamma Power Station from here. 

Waters is clear and clean.

Standing on the rocks is so cooling and fun as we made our way slowing towards the sea. The rocks are very slippery and we have to be extremely careful!

Gladys loves picking seashells and pretty rocks whenever she is at the beach.

We spent some time at the beach for the kids to play with the waters and enjoy the sea breeze before continuing our walk.

1:20pm - The afternoon sun is hot making the trail harder for the kids. Luckily we brought umbrella, caps and lots of water to perk us up and keep us hydrated.

Gladys holding on to her handheld fan to keep her cool. 

There are a couple of steep slopes along the trail and we really pushed ourselves very hard. Wearing comfortable footwear is extremely important to make the walk more enjoyable. :)

A roadside stall selling icy, cooling drinks. Just what we needed! 

Steep slope ahead!

1:40pm - We finally reached the resting point at the top and we are tired!

The view from here is REFRESHING. Very breezy and we can have a good view of the Lamma Power Station, Hung Shing Yeh beach and other parts of Lamma Island.

Victory!

Two hours has past since the start of our trail from the pier. This was another point where we stopped and rest our feet before moving on. We enjoyed the view and standing on the stones makes us feel so high and lifted our spirits. This is the beauty of Lamma Island.

View of Lamma Island from the top. 

Walking trail - Part 3 (To be continued)

6th September 2012

Day 6 - We have visited the theme parks, temples, shopping malls and roam the local streets. Today, we are taking a ferry and venturing out to one of the outlying islands in Hong Kong - Lamma Island (南丫岛).

Through local travel programmes, we heard a lot about Lamma island offering good seafood, yummy bean curd and beautiful scenery away from the city life. We will be embarking on a little hiking trail that challenge our kiddos endurance and stamina. :)

From Central MRT station, we took 10-15 minutes to walk to the Central Pier (中環碼頭). Most of the ferries here depart to the Outlying Islands in the New Territories.

There are signboards and banners which helped us to get to Ferry Pier 4 and take the boat to Lamma Island. Basically you can choose to start your journey from Yung Shue Wan (榕树湾) or Sok Kwu Wan (索罟湾).

Check the timetable for the ferry departure timings and fare pricing when you are planning for your trip.

Waiting to get onboard :)

We decided to start our hiking trail from Yung Shue Wan (榕树湾). There are seafood stalls and souvenir shops at the little town where we can shop around and we will end our trail with a seafood lunch at Sok Kwu Wan (索罟湾). The ferry ride to Yung Shue Wan took about 30 minutes but the view out from the window is refreshing.

I love the Hong Kong skyline, the boats, the blue sky and white puffy clouds, the crystal clear waters and how the breeze gently brushed onto my face.

Moving away from the city....

As we approaches Lamma Island, you will notice a white wind turbine from afar. Lamma Winds (南丫風采發電站) is a prominent and unique structure which began operating since 2006. It was the first commercial-scale wind turbine in Hong Kong and generates power for the households on the island. There is  also an exhibition center surrounding the base of the wind turbine which is open to the public.

11:30AM - I fell in love with Lamma Island as soon as we landed. It has a distinct flavour of the local culture and we can't wait to explore and check out what it has to offer.

Map of Lamma Island & places of interest.

Most of the residents on the island resides in Yung Shue Wan and it offers better accommodation for tourists. Rows of houses spotted along the bank. 

Lamma Power Station (南丫發電廠) - coal-fired power station which provides power to Hong Kong and Lamma Island.

Another thing you might notice is there are no cars on the island. Residents travel around the island mainly by bicycles or motorised carts. That explains why there are many bicycles at the ferry terminal.

Soon, we found ourselves roaming on the streets of Yung Shue Wan, Food stalls, cafe, art and craft and souvenirs shops are quietly tucked away within this little town. If you have time to spare, it would be nice to spend some time here and shop around.

Since we will be embarking on a walking trail, we did not make any bulky purchases and only replenished the bottled drinks.

It struck us at that very instance that we do not have any maps of the island! Thanks to the signboards and seeking directions from the locals, we managed to find our way through. ^_^ It is rather easy to find your way around Lamma Island.

We spotted a stall selling Soya Bean Curd and stopped by to grab a bowl. (HKD10 per bowl)

We continued our walk passing through the villages. Houses here looks bigger than those on the main island.

Not far away, we spotted another stall along the roadside. If you are in Lamma Island, you should not miss tasting 建興亞婆豆腐花 (Kin Hing Toufu Dessert). It is famous for its 豆腐花 which is smooth and tender. It is not too powdery and melts in our mouth. We ordered the cold dessert and it definitely tasted much better than the one we bought at the shop earlier.

豆腐花 - HKD10 (dine in), HKD11 (take away)

After taking 2 bowls of toufu dessert, we headed towards the beach as more surprises awaits us.

Part 2 - Discovering Lamma Island